Night Light
by TaiRuChi
Summary: World War Three commences when the Axis all turn dark. Now that everything's gone crazy, the Allies have to finish their battles with each other to fight another group of foes, both old and new. Various Pairings, Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

Foreword from Russia: Basically, this here is a writing game challenge… thing. Each of us takes a turn writing a page or so, then the others write off of that. So just about each change in point of view is a different writer. I'm serving as beta for Tai and China, in essence re-writing it so it flows a bit better. So if the writing style suddenly changes, you know why. Turns go Russia-Taiwan-China. So let's start!

Warnings for the whole story: Dark nations, Many, many character deaths, Fem!China, Mental breakdowns, Language, Complete randomness, Lack of planning, Stupid amounts of capturing, Too many POV changes.

Disclaimer: None of us own Hetalia (I don't think). Otherwise, it would be much more creepy than it is now.

Russia's final note: Also, I recommend setting this story to ¾ width, since that's the format we wrote it in. ^J^

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><p>Latvia's POV:<p>

"What? I don't think that's right!"

"I'm Russian! I know everything about snow!" Though I was glad China was worrying about the Russian, it always unnerved me to think that she overall had no impact on Russia's decisions. I watched, petrified, as the light-haired man jumped, his parachute still onboard.

"Alright…" China sighed, turning towards me. "Your turn, Latvia." Shaking slightly, I pointed at myself. "M-Me?"

China nodded, handing me Russia's parachute. I yanked it on just as she shoved me out. I could, over the whistling of the wind, hear the boss's battle cry of "vodka" as I fell. Finally, I pulled the parachute cord and started to float, angling towards the tan body of Russia.

Panic crept through me as I realized he wasn't moving. I hit the ground running, stumbling my way through the snow – which wasn't all that thick, as I realized with growing horror. My mouth started moving soundlessly, and I finally was leaning over the figure.

"S-Sir?" I finally made out. "Are you okay? Well, that's a stupid question, I mean, well, are you alive?" I mentally hit myself. Why I always tripped over my own tongue, I'd never know. I heard a quiet groan of annoyance – or pain – from the Russian, and leaned over him. "R-Russia?"

"Raivis, shut up." Oh, that tone of voice was bad. I hadn't heard that since a fire had destroyed his sunflower garden. I swallowed, waiting for him to get up.

"Does the sky seem like it's spinning?" I instantly looked up, seeing the same blue sky as always. "N-No, I don't think it is."

"Ah… That's odd. Also…" He started to sit up, barely wincing as he did so. I instinctively put a hand behind his back to help him up. Surprisingly, his aura didn't appear, so I assumed I was doing the right thing. He turned to face me, a smile finding its way onto his face.

"Latvia, where is Lithuania?" My blood ran cold. It seemed as though he had quite a bit of amnesia. He forgot… two whole weeks? But he had to bring up the worst possible subject. I stood up, stepping away to avoid his wrath.

"L-Lithuania is d-dead, sir." The dark aura shot up before I knew what was happening, the force of it pushing me back into the snow. Russia wasn't even stable enough to speak in English.

"что?" Tears sprang to my eyes, and I crawled backwards, trying to escape.

"L-Lithuania is dead! H-He was killed b-by the Axis a f-few weeks ago!" I snapped my eyes shut, already feeling his metal pipe smashing against my face. I was going to die, too…

"RUSSIA! STOP IT, ARU!" I kept my eyes closed, knowing what was going on. Russia was approaching me, murder in his eyes, ready to kill me for giving him the news. China had arrived in perfect time, yanking Russia's arms back. I curled into myself as I listened to the clangs of metal on metal, the duel between old friends.

I never thought I would hear the heavy sound of Russia's knees hitting the ground. I whimpered into my hands, waiting. Finally, I heard Russia's voice.

"I… I am sorry, China."

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><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

I was running a very important message to Russia for the Allies, when I came upon a rather large snow covered clearing… Thinking back on it, I was in Russia. Snow was _everywhere_. That was when I saw what was happening. My older sister was ready to give a final blow to Russia. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed, holding China back. "He was going to kill Latvia." She said matter-of-factly, struggling against my hold on her wok.

"That doesn't mean you should _kill_ him! I've known Russia! He has his days, but he's a nice person! You should know that, of all people! All he wants is a friend!" Tears ran down my face and I felt China relax. "Don't hurt him…" I finish quietly.

I felt someone wrap me in a hug and I opened my eyes to see a familiar scarf. "Thank you." Russia whispered into my ear. I squeezed the man tighter, not wanting it to end, but a shot suddenly rang out. My eyes widened, and Russia pulled away. "No…" We all turned in horror as Latvia crumbled to the ground. The snow slowly turned red, and Russia was suddenly gone, kneeling over the boy. I looked wildly around to find the shooter, locating a figure some distance away.

I shot off like a rocket, ignoring the calls behind me from my big sister. I finally reached the person, tackling them into the cold snow. The person opened his eyes and I was forced to stare into the red irises of the man that used to be Germany. "Why?" I asked, forcing pressure onto his throat, but he doesn't respond. "Why…" I repeated, letting go. Tears started streaming down my face. He stood up and I braced myself for an attack but instead I felt myself being lifted up by my neck. My vision started getting blurry, and I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes the next time, I saw the inside of a home. My hair was brushed from my eyes, and I drifted off again, feeling safe.

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><p>China's POV:<p>

Just after the little nation… er… jumped out of the plane, I followed, leaving the third, unused parachute behind me. Trying to save Russia's ass and failing seemed to be my specialty lately. I hit the ground easily, but stumbled upon a major problem. Or rather, multiple problems. First, Russia had his pipe out. Second, it was raised. Third, and most importantly, he was about to use it on Latvia. Sure, he wasn't the highest on my list of favorites, but I knew the exact reason for Russia's anger and Latvia didn't deserve it.

I ran, snow flying with my footsteps, screaming for Russia to stop. He completely ignored me, about to bring the pipe down. I grabbed his arms from behind him, holding him back. "Calm down." I ordered, struggling to hold onto the stronger nation.

"Just put it down. It's not his fault." He whipped around, glaring at me. His eyes had a glint that he usually reserved for those that pissed him off. Oh, wait. That was me right now. "Crap." I muttered, pulling out my own weapons. He swung harshly and I blocked with my wok. The force made a terrible clang and shook my whole arm. We started into a vicious fight, looking like the worst of enemies. Anyone who knew us would probably think we were terrible friends.

Finally, I got in a hit, knocking the pipe from his hands. He sank to his knees. I breathed heavily, almost missing his words. "I am sorry, China." That made me mad.

"Oh, you're sorry." I growled. "Don't be sorry to me. Be sorry to him." I spat. I took a step closer and he fell back. I saw red, going in for another attack. He stood, this time on the defense. I easily countered his attacks, completely livid. I can't stand bullies. I kicked hard and he stumbled back into the snow. Suddenly, my arm was pulled back, Taiwan shouting gibberish at the top of her lungs. There was a gunshot from behind me, and Latvia fell. Well, crap. I can never win, can I? I looked up, Taiwan now running full speed… at a dark version of Germany. In a blur, she was there, he grabbed her by the throat, and she was soon out cold. I felt frozen. He smiled, red eyes gleaming at me as he carried her off. My legs refused to support me and I stumbled. Russia caught me, and I swallowed hard.

"The Axis have my sister."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: None of us own Hetalia~

Warnings for Chapter 2: Mild Language, Violence, Extreme Attractiveness on Dark!Japan's part

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><p>Russia's POV:<p>

After I hit the ground, I wasn't quite sure what had happened. I could have sworn Lithuania had come in the plane with us, yet he didn't jump out… And now Latvia was saying that he had been killed weeks ago? That couldn't be right.

In my confusion and frustration, I wound up taking it out on the only thing there: Latvia. Ready too swing my pipe forward for a final blow, I heard a shout from behind me, but it was too late to stop.

I found the attack interrupted by China, and instantly felt rage creep into my veins. I attacked her, not feeling any of the blows, until finally she knocked the pipe from my hands. My rage ended, I dropped to my knees, following my first instinct to apologize for taking my anger out on her. Just as I turned to apologize to the Baltic, as well, she attacked agin. I defended, my pipe forgotten but not needed. Finally, she got in a kick to my chest, and I stumbled back, breathing heavily.

Several things happened at once.

I heard Taiwan's shout, and China stopped her attacks. I pressed the smaller girl to my chest, thanking her for helping. A gunshot rang out, and my blood suddenly froze. I turned, my mouth forming into various shapes, but producing no sound. Latvia laid on the ground, blood pooling into a dark puddle on the snow.

I stood slowly, my dark glare turning into a manic grin. I would have gone after the figure that stood in the trees, but Taiwan beat me to it. I watched, still smirking in anger, as Taiwan was carried away. China started to fall, and I caught her. My expression turned sour as she spoke.

"Da, they have your sister. But they have the lives of two of my friends. Those bastards seem to have forgotten who the power lies with." My aura started to emerge again, a smile growing on my face.

"We should go reteach them, shouldn't we?"

Since it seemed as though China wouldn't be at a hundred percent very soon, I hoisted her onto my back, making sure she was alright before turning my attention to Latvia.

The bullet had gone straight to his heart, leaving him face down in the snow. I turned the small form over, brushing red snow off of his face with all the care of a porcelain doll. Ignoring the new bloodstains on my coat, I picked the boy up. Apparently, our pilot had noticed the commotion, because the plane soon landed near us.

Blinking something invisible out of my eye, I placed the limp form in the plane. China, now feeling good enough to continue, hopped off of my back, cold fury in her eyes. "Russia," She said quietly. I turned to her, keeping ahand on Latvia.

"Let's go get my sister."

I nodded slowly, taking a long time to let go of the boy and wave the pilot off. "It will be easier to track them on foot, won't it?"

Without waiting for an answer, I sped off, China keeping in step behind me. I stopped every few minutes to make sure we were going the right way, leading the way to where the Axis had made their base.

Finally, it was within sight. I drew my pipe, silently making my way up to the two guards. China held back, waiting. Both men were dead within a few seconds. An alarm sounded, and China quieted it with a quick gunshot. Not trying to be quiet anymore, I kicked down the door, my eyes settling on the monster that used to be Japan.

China was suddenly in front of me. "This is my fight. Go on ahead."

I didn't need to be told twice.

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><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

My vision cleared, but instead of seeing loving eyes looking down on me, I saw an immense grin and blood red eyes. "N-No!" I squirmed, but Italy leaned over me, pinning my arms to my sides. "Italy, keep her there." I glanced over, seeing Germany leaning against the wall with a gun ready. There was a loud banging from the other side of the door. Italy pulled me to a sitting position and started to tie my hands behind my back.

The door opened to reveal Russia standing in the doorway. He took a step into the room, and I heard a click next to my head. "Don't -" Italy pressed the gun harder into my temple. "Shhh."

"Take one step and Italy will shoot her." Russia froze, not wanting to risk it. Germany stepped quickly forward and used the gun butt to hit the Russian. A small scuffle ensued, but with Germany's increased strength, he won easily. A small sound of shuffling reached us, then Japan walked in, his warm brown eyes replaced with red.

"We should probably depart before the other Allies show up. I already took care of China." I struggled against Italy's grasp, shouting in outrage. "NO!" Tears streamed from my eyes as I fought, screaming, but his grip was too tight. Italy started to lead me out of the room. My yells went up an octave as I saw China sprawled on the floor, and in response Germany hoisted me back onto his shoulder. As it became clear that no one was coming to my rescue, I quieted, finally drifting to unconsciousness.

_Time skip_

The orange glow of a fire was all I had for light. The Axis were seated all around the camp. They knew I couldn't escape even if I tried, so they distanced themselves from me. We were slowly making our way out of Russia and towards Finland.

"Please… Please let them find me." I muttered, hugging my knees. "Hey." I turned and looked up only to feel a jacket dropped on my head. "I don't –" That's all I got out before Germany forced my head down onto a sleeping bag. "Get some sleep." I tried to sit up, but he kept a firm hand on my shoulder.

I sighed and closed my eyes, a brilliant idea coming to me. So they still had a spark of kindness in them. If they could remember _how_ to be good… Maybe that was the secret.

_Time skip_

Third Person POV:

"Agh, that hurts." Russia put a hand to his forehead where he had been hit, sitting up. He grimaced as he entered the next room. "China, are you alright?" He helped the other nation up, and she growled quietly.

"That was the lat straw. First you take my sister, then pin me against my brother? When I get my hands on them again…" China made a strangling motion with her hands. Russia started into a mix of angry English and Russian. "Considering they defeated both of us easily… I'm quite a bit more than ticked off. The first person who actually wanted to be my friend, and she gets taken…" He trailed off. China patted his back softly. "Let's go get her then." Russia nodded, not trusting his voice any longer.

_Time skip_

Taiwan's POV:

My eyes opened after a hard bounce jerked me awake, and I realized I was inside a… carriage of some sort. I started furiously banging on the ceiling as I heard Italy's voice outside. "LET ME OUT!" I wasn't in the mood to just be passed around.

"Shh." A hand pressed against my mouth and pulled me to the floor. "Stop squirming…" whoever it was yawned. "… Or they'll hear you." This person was making no sense at all, but I complied and stopped moving. "So you're Taiwan, right…" Another yawn. "Japan's little sister…?"

"Y-Yeah, or at least what's left of him… He's turned –"

"Dark." This person sounded on the verge of sleep. It was more than a bit annoying. "Um… you sound tired. Maybe you should get some sleep?" As soon as I finished speaking the person let out a sigh and rolled over onto his side. "Let me go first, you idiot!" I squirmed and the grip tightened. Who was this, anyway?

"You should sleep, too." He said. I managed to turn over, only to be face to face with Greece, of all people. He seemed to already be asleep. I pushed away, which only served to make him pull me in tighter, resting his chin on my head.

Where was China when I really needed her? She was probably still chasing the Axis…

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><p>China's POV:<p>

"This is my fight. Go on ahead." I spoke softly, my eyes not leaving my brother's. Russia was gone in a fraction of a second, leaving two former family member alone. "How could you do this?" I immediately shouted at him, rage twisting my features. "Taiwan is family! You sick, twisted bastard!" He completely ignored my rant, focused on tapping a rhythm along his sword. "You know, you're really annoying when you do that."

"Do what?" I asked. "Add 'aru' to the end of every sentence." Ugh, not this crap again. "I don't. What does that have to do with anything, anyway?" He smiled wickedly. "A distraction." In moments, he was on me, pinning me in place against a wall. My eyes widened.

"You got fast." I choked out. "And stronger." He finished. "I'll have to thank Britain for that before I kill him." He practically laughed at the thought of killing his former friend. Japan let me fall to the floor and threw a hard punch at my stomach, forcing all air from my lungs. I doubled over in pain, and he instantly grabbed my throat. With no air to begin with, I knew I was screwed.

He spun me, choking me with one hand and restraining me with the other. My vision blurred and my thoughts started swimming. The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was my brother's wicked laughter.

_Time skip_

I groaned, awareness mixed with pain slamming into me. Couldn't I just stay unconscious? It was oh-so-much more pleasant. I heard Russia speaking from the other room, and I continued lying there, livid with my brother. The man apparently saw me. "China, are you alright?" Without asking if I actually wanted to get up – which I _didn't_, mind you – he grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "That was the last straw." I know I said more, because I could feel my lips moving, but I tuned myself out, choosing to strangle the mental image of the demon in my brother's clothes. "Considering they defeated both of us easily…" Russia pulled me from my daydream, breaking into a half Russian, half English rant about not having any friends. Well, hell, what am I? "Let's go get her." I sighed.

_Time skip_

Our temporary camp was by a cliff. The stars overhead looked beautiful despite what was going on. I sat on the edge, hugging my knees to my chest. I was having one of those questioning moments. What was I to the Allies? I sure as hell wasn't the leader. Not the hero, that was America. Not our best fighter, either. That had to be Russia. I could get my ass kicked by my little brother. What was I? The oldest. What a great title. I sighed, standing up. Sulking would get me nowhere.

But I didn't notice the rain-slicked stones. I slipped, grabbing a branch hanging from the side, and prayed that the twig didn't snap. But of course it did. I shut my eyes as I began to freefall.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own Hetalia.

Warnings: America, Mental Breakdowns, Extreme awesomeness.

Note from Russia: Forgive us for making Greece out to be a bit of an idiot. I actually quite like him, but, um... spoilers. *starts laughing maniacally*

Also. After this chapter, we're only continuing after a few people review, alright? We want some input! *waves pipe*

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><p>Third Person POV:<p>

Suddenly, a gloved hand grasped China's pulling her up. She still had her eyes closed, scared that she was already dead. They snapped open, however, when she heard a familiar voice.

"Dude, China, what're you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Nope, definitely not in heaven. An irritated scoff from the campfire caught the American's attention. "Obviously not, you git! The stones are slippery over there! Now get back over here, or you'll be in a worse situation."

"Aw, Britain, you're worried about me!" America let go of China's wrist to poke at Britain's face.

"I always knew you both were meant for each other~!" China resisted the urge to facepalm at the sound of the French accent. "Shut up, frog!" The banter erupted into an argument between the two nations, and America took the chance to lead China back to the campfire.

"So, how did you guys find us?" Russia asked. Rather than answer honestly, however, America started into a recount of his "heroic exploits" and "daring escapes". Though Russia pretended to be amazed, it was fairly obvious to everyone – except America – that he was ready to strangle the younger nation.

Britain finally interrupted him, sitting down in between China and America. "Your pilot gave us the location of the Axis base, and from there it was fairly easy to track you. Oh, Russia…" The nation who had been eerily staring into space focused back in on Britain, a hint of murder in his eyes.

"I'm truly sorry. About Latvia." Russia instantly stood, turning away from the group. "I will be back in a moment." He said brusquely, barely bothering to conceal his rage. China blinked rapidly as he left. "I think he's gotten much better at controlling himself. Since Latvia died, I mean."

The other Allies nodded in agreement. There was silence for a moment before America spoke again.

"So, Britain, before we got here you were sayin' something about Estonia's research?" Britain visibly relaxed, glad for something else to think about.

"He's almost gotten to how the darkness takes over. After that, it's just a quick step to a cure." China growled slightly, suddenly snapping.

"You say that like it's so easy, but what about the lives we've lost? Latvia and Lithuania are _dead_, Britain! And my sister could be next, for all we know!" She made as if to punch Britain, who made no move to defend himself, but America held her back.

"China," He whispered, unheard by the other two. "Calm down. There's already been enough fighting. Please."

The girl calmed herself quickly, sitting back down and sighing. "Let's figure out a plan, then."

_Time skip_

Taiwan was jolted awake again by a loud gunshot, and the feeling of the carriage stopping. An outraged shout, followed by a few grunts. Were the Allies here already?

When the carriage was pried open, though, it turned out to be the smiling face of Finland. Taiwan instantly jumped out, looking around. The gunshot had been the horses being detached from the carriage – damn, was Finland a good shot. Sweden glanced up from tying the Italy brothers up to give her a sharp nod. The other three Nordics emerged from various hiding places, and Finland's smile only grew.

"Taiwan, Greece, welcome to my homeland!"

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><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

"What?" I stared straight at the five Nordics. "Well, come on." Finland offered his hand. I started to take it, but felt myself being picked up bridal style, suddenly reminded of Greece's presence. "Thanks for the rescue…" He mumbled, still half asleep. "Umm…" I looked up at the Greek, who obviously wasn't putting me down anytime soon.

"Relax!" Denmark started. "If one of us is carrying you, it'll look like we've captured you!" Norway punched the Dane's side. "Don't just blurt out our plan, dumbass." Denmark held his side in mocked pain as I giggled a little. Gunshots rang out, and Finland started to return fire as we all started running. Greece, however, took off in the opposite direction from the Nordics. "H-Hey Greece! Wrong way!" Ignoring my shouts, he just kept running.

_Time skip_

Third Person POV:

Russia sat by himself in the woods, away from the other allies. "Hey," America approached him, leaning against a nearby tree.

"What do you want?" Russia asked coldly, not moving his eyes from the inside of his scarf. "Woah, dude, what's got you so pissed off?" Russia sighed, irritated. "I shouldn't bother telling you."

"Oh come on, man, you can trust me!"

There was a quiet growl from the Russian. "Fine… It's just… It seems as though everyone is leaving me. Latvia and Lithuania are both gone, and Estonia didn't like me to begin with. Then, here comes Taiwan saying she wants to be my friend, and she gets kidnapped… For all we know, she's already dead." Russia buried his face deeper into his scarf.

"Dude, it's alright. I know how ya feel." The Russian looked up sharply, his glare sucking all the light from around him. "Nyet. You don't." America cursed under his breath, backing away from the sudden anger.

"I'm not losing anyone else. Whether or not you join me doesn't matter. Two have already gone, and I'm not going to risk this again." He drew the pipe from his coat, infuriated, and stormed off.

_Time skip_

Taiwan's POV:

There was a loud stomping sound coming towards us, but amazingly Greece didn't wake up. "Um –" Germany put a finger to my mouth. Because of Greece's apparent stupidity we had gotten captured again, but this time we were tightly bound.

"Japan." Germany gestured for the other nation to approach. When he didn't, the German turned around to see Japan on the ground, unconscious. He glances at me, and I shrug. Out of nowhere, Germany collapses as well, revealing a stunned China and an infuriated Russia. China untied me, helping me to my feet.

"Wait, we can't leave Greece." I walked over to the other nation, shaking him awake. "Greece! Greece, wake up!"

"Shh." He says for the umpteenth time. Again with this. "Wake. Up." He gets up ever-so-slowly, and we all start running through the trees. I don't know how long it took before we reached the Allied camp to cheers and shouts of victory.

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><p>China's POV:<p>

"We're leaving." Russia stormed, startling me and causing me to fall from the tree I was perched in. I fell, landing on my side. A shock of pain raced up my arm, causing me to wince involuntarily.

"How did you even know I was out here?" I asked, annoyed to have been startled so easily. "We spend enough time together, I'm aware that you like trees." I sighed and shook my head.

"So, where are we going?" I asked, following after Russia. "We're going to save your sister." He replied simply. "Wait, they agreed on a plan?" I felt relieved at the thought, but that relief was shattered with his next word.

"No."

"No? Then WHY ARE WE LEAVING?" I shouted. Russia slapped a hand over my mouth.

"You want to help her, da? Then stay quiet and help me." He moved his hand back and I glared. "Do that again and you lose your fingers." I said. Either he ignored me or just didn't hear me; he just continued walking. I sighed.

"Do we even know where we're headed?" I asked. I hated to be the pessimist, but lately I had trouble being positive.

"Nyet." He replied simply. Wonderful.

"Alright, one more question, aru." I said, being absolutely serious.

"Are you drunk?" He laughed as if I was joking around. I mentally sighed. If I died, I was going to haunt him for the rest of eternity. I heard shouts in the distance. Great. The others were awake.

"They're going to kill us." I said. Apparently, he thought I was referring to the Axis.

"Correction. They're going to kill _me_ and torture you." Russia said, being always the cheerful one. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. I don't know how far we got before we heard gunshots. Instinctively, I stopped, but Russia grabbed my arm to pull me forward. After what felt like an eternity, we saw a campsite. I hid and pulled Russia with me. "Alright, we just need to –" Without listening, Russia pulls out a tranquilizer gun and fires two nearly silent shots.

"Or you could do that…" I muttered, questioning where he even got the device. I ran to my sister, easily slicing through the rope holding her back. I immediately wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: *looks around* No, we're all still poor. Chances are we haven't bought Hetalia yet.

Warnings: Commencing mass character deaths, mostly by my hand. Sadism, Assassin Italies, Language, More Mental Breakdowns, etc, etc.

Note from Russia: I love this chapter. So much. Yup.

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><p>Italy's POV:<p>

"We're going to ask you once more." The sound of a rifle being loaded caught my attention. "What is your plan for Taiwan?" I laughed viciously, surprising the Norwegian man. The darkness that had enveloped me wasn't letting any of my usual cowardice show.

"Our plan is already in effect. You can't stop it now." A flash of pain shot through my ear as Finland fired a shot, devastatingly close. Over the ringing in my ears, I could barely hear what Norway was saying, so I answered in the best form I could. "Tai's already been infected, and she'll spread it to the rest of the Allies." As if we were linked, my brother spoke at the same moment as me, in the same tone of voice.

"It's too late~!"

Using our darkened strength, we both broke our restraints. I headed towards Norway, grinning. As I picked him up by the throat, I spoke again. "Especially for dear China. She was infected quite some time ago. By me." The first time we had met, earlier that day in fact. Norway's body went limp in unconsciousness, and I tossed him carelessly to the ground like a rag doll. A sickening crack signaled that the nation had been killed. Too easily.

"NORWAY!" Denmark screamed, racing towards me with his axe raised. I jumped onto the weapon with my hands in my pockets, giving the Dane a hard kick to the head. He stumbled, and I jumped away, winding up back to back with Romano. "Shall we, fratello?" I asked, and both of us started out of the base, back towards the camp Germany and I had agreed on.

_Time skip_

Finland shook, hands clutched, frozen, around his rifle. He stared unseeingly at Norway, the man who used to be their living friend. The Italies had escaped, but that didn't matter now. It was only Norway. The Finn ignored the shoves from Denmark, the shouts of blame, the frustrated fight that broke out between his Su-san and the other Viking. His throat closed up.

"I… need some air." He said hoarsely, causing the fighting to stop momentarily. No one moved to stop him as he left.

He rushed through the trees, anger and frustration fueling his footsteps, the rifle now attached to his back. He needed… something. He didn't quite know what, but… It seemed like it was important. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he caught sight of them. His targets.

The two Italies had captured Greece, his back against a tree. The small Finn took aim, trying to be accurate despite the tears blurring his vision.

He missed.

The bullet hit Greece square in the forehead, giving him no chance to react. Finland fumbled to fire another shot, but the Italies had already fled. He spun around, starting to run, and found himself face to face with the same two he had been firing at. They started a conversation as though he wasn't there.

"Look, fratello, a little Finn came to play."

"But he threw a toy at us. He doesn't deserve playtime." Finland aimed his rifle at the duo, but it was knocked away, creating a heavy thud as it landed several feet away. He snapped his eyes shut, preparing for the worst. They opened again when he heard a quiet muttering of "Kumajirou, go!"

A white mass landed on Italy's shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Finland soon recognized it as a bear, but it seemed too small to be any proper bear…

A blonde figure pulled himself onto the ledge and drew his saber from a sheath. Italy finally shoved the bear off, revealing a bloody wound covering his shoulder. The two instantly fled, using some signal that only they had noticed.

"Sorry I'm running late, Finland." The stranger said, collecting the bear in his arms. The Finn blinked, confused. The stranger looked like America, though for some reason he looked… _quieter_.

"Who are you?" Finland asked, looking over the blonde.

"I'm Canada."

* * *

><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

The camp was filled with happiness as I sat next to China and Russia, warming myself by the fire.

"You alright?" My sister asked for the millionth time, looking at the red print on my wrists from where my bindings had been. "Yeah, I –" My sentence was cut off by the sound of grating metal. I looked up slowly to see Russia with his pipe drawn, holding it like a sword.

"Nobody touch her!" Finland said, coming into the clearing with Canada close behind him. "She's been infected." Finland pointed at me. "M-Me?"

"Yeah, you." He sighed dramatically. "Don't play stupid, Taiwan." He aimed his rifle and Russia stepped closer to shield me, China stepping in front of me.

"You're not killing my sister, infected or not." Finland's glare softened and he turned to the other Allies.

"What about you? Are you willing to risk everyone's safety for one life?" England responded almost immediately. "Are you _mad_?"

"She's infected with darkness. One touch and you are, too." Everyone took a step back, instantly untrusting.

"G-Guys?" I reached for my sister, but she stepped away, looking down. I began to tear up. Everyone was looking at me like some sort of hideous monster. I started to bury my face in my hands, but looked up again as I heard a click. Then I was looking down the barrel of a gun, the other end being held by Finland.

"On your knees." He said brusquely, pressing the end of the barrel on the top of my head. I obeyed, realizing there was no way out.

"Do it quickly." My sister demanded, turning her head away. I could tell she was holding back tears. "On the count of three. Any last words?" I nodded slowly, and looked around at the others. "Yeah. China, you're the greatest sister anyone could have. And everyone, thank you for your friendship." I looked back at Finland and shut my eyes, fully understanding that that was it.

"One." Why the counting? The suspense? Just get it over with.

"Two." Suddenly, the gun fired, but the end I expected didn't come. I opened my eyes, slowly and carefully. "Estonia?"

The Baltic nation had apparently knocked the rifle out of Finland's hands. "Come on, up we go." He started to help me to my feet. "Wait, she's – "

"Yes, I heard. Infected. See? Gloves." He held up his hands, momentarily letting go of me. He pressed his glasses back up his nose, lifting a bottle up for all to see. "Know what this is?" Instantly, I furrowed my eyebrows. "No…" He sighed.

"Open up." He pulled a small tablet from the jar and held it in front of my mouth. "Umm…" I paused, but he took an opportunity and popped the pill into my mouth. Surprised, I swallowed it. After a pause, Estonia visibly relaxed. "Alright, she's safe." China instantly ran over and hugged me. "Thank god."

"What _is_ that?" Britain asked, taking the bottle from him and investigating its contents.

"The cure. But sadly, once you're dark, you're dark. It only works on infections for now, but that's the best I could do." He patted me on the back.

"Welcome back, Taiwan." I turned from my sister and hugged him, tears slipping from my eyes. "Thank you." I muttered. He smiled pleasantly.

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>China's POV:<p>

I couldn't sleep, so I found myself perched yet again high in a tree. This time, my armband was removed, left at the campsite with the rest of my belongings. My head was killing me. Not to mention I felt sort of sick, but not in a flu sort of way. I shifted slightly, staring off into the distance. Everything felt… off.

The brothers watched from the treeline, red eyes following the half-sleeping nation as she left the campsite. Italy smiled, but it had no trace of his former carefree happiness. "It seems Finland didn't listen to us." He spoke quietly.

"Nevermind." Romano whispered back. "We'll have claimed another by dawn."

_Time skip_

My eyes snapped open, my heart still racing. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the nightmare, but it had still shaken me. I leaned my head against the stiff tree trunk, trying to slow my breathing. I was still extremely tired, but there was no point in sleeping if I was just going to be woken again.

Something else was bothering me as well. I felt as though I was being watched… But that was ridiculous. No one else was awake at this hour, let alone this far from camp. Then my head started to pound. This was no simple headache. Migraine didn't even begin to describe it. I felt like my head was being ripped apart, using the roots of my hair as a grip. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even form the thought to breathe. Fire began to pound through my veins and I struggled to move. I fell from my perch; the air hitting my face didn't do anything to quench the fire in my veins. Suddenly, I jerked to a stop. I looked up, seeing an evil grin on Italy's face as he and Romano helped me to my feet.

"What took you so long?" I spat, only seeing a smile from the duo.

"Welcome to the Axis, China~!" They chimed.

The Allies were woken by screaming. More specifically, Taiwan's screaming. "CHINA!" She looked around frantically, holding a piece of red cloth in her hands – her sister's armband.

"Calm down!" Britain shouted over the quickly growing din. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Where's China?" Taiwan asked, practically choking the words out.

"That's the _least_ of our worries!" America exclaimed, pointing to the treeline. The others followed his gaze.

"Good morning, Allies." The Italies said cheerily.

_America was right,_ Russia thought. _Her location is the least of our troubles._

Standing in between the brothers was China herself.

And her eyes were a deep, bloody red.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Let's just go ahead and say it together now: Nobody here owns Hetalia!

Warnings: Language, Creepiness on the Italies' part, Extreme awesomeness from you-know-who

Sweden's POV:

I sat awake, staring at the spot where Finland should be. He should have been back hours ago. I had faith in the smaller man, but he could have been captured, or turned dark, or even… Swallowing thickly to cut off the thought, I stood up. Iceland and Denmark were jolted awake by the sudden movement, and the Dane gave me a growl, standing up as well.

"For Christ's sake, Sweden, let's just _go._"

Within a few moments, we were ready to head out. I was the leader of our trio, speeding through the trees with the others on my heels. Eventually, I held out a hand for us to stop, listening more attentively to the sounds ahead of us. "Welcome to the Axis, China." Oh, that wasn't good. We followed the trio as they made their way in the same direction as us. Though Italy seemed to notice our presence, he didn't say a word.

We eventually reached a large clearing, where the Allies – along with Finland – were all gathered. The advantage we had snapped into perfect clarity as I heard the Italies' words. "Good morning, Allies." Denmark held out an arm to keep me from charging out to protect Finland. I took a silent breath. _Ambush. Right._ I drew the ax from my back, starting to creep toward the Italies.

I swung it down towards them in absolute silence.

* * *

><p>Italy's POV:<p>

As soon as I heard the shuffling behind me, I knew we were being followed. I mentally pouted. Playtime with China was over. We arrived at the Allied camp with no difficulty, but just after they noticed our presence, I felt the air being displaced behind us. With a silent tap to my brother, we sped off in opposite directions, taking up identical perches in our own trees. We both wanted to see how China fought her "friends".

She easily dodged the ax, using a quick kick to send Sweden to the ground. I grinned as Denmark rubbed his head in sympathy, and both he and Iceland started forward to attack China. Finland was the first of the Allies to come to his senses, dodging around the fight to help Sweden up. It was clear that the two Nordics were used to fighting together. They moved in tandem, though not quite as fluently as my brother and I, but well enough.

China evaded each of their attacks, finally getting in a hit with her wok. The Allies started to converge on her now, and Romano jumped down to help, and I followed almost immediately after. He squared off against France and England, leaving me with the two superpowers of the world.

Lovely.

I assessed them quickly, not giving them any more time to prepare before I started attacking. Both of them seemed to rely on raw power, leaving me with a significant advantage. Any one of my hits could result in death, but I stayed much lighter on my feet and more graceful than America's insanely powerful punches. After several minutes, I got in a kick to his shins, knocking the American to the ground, and jumped over Russia to look at the other battles.

China was now taking on Finland and Estonia, seeming to be winning. Estonia was already nursing a broken arm, but was still putting up a fight. Romano, in the meantime, had defeated France, Canada having come up to take his place. I knocked Russia out with a blow to the back of the neck, dodging around the battles to grab a medicine bottle from Estonia's pocket. My smile widened. Our conquest was almost completed.

"Fratello~ Miss China~ Time to go!" for good measure, I set a hand on Taiwan's shoulder.

"I suppose I won't see those pretty brown eyes of yours again… Good luck with that infection, Tai. Ciao~!"

And with that, we were gone.

* * *

><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

My head hurt. Shit, that was the first symptom. "Tai?" America set a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

"I-I think I'm going to –" He pressed me down to sit on the ground.

"Hurry up with that spare, Estonia!" The blonde leaned down to look me in the eyes. "Hang in there." He said concernedly. I let my eyes close, only half listening to the conversation going on around me, and tried to drown out the pain in my skull.

"Here, everyone, take one."

"Wait, we don't have enough. One of us is going to have to –"

"I'll do it." My eyes snapped back open and locked on the person who had spoken.

"France?" Someone said quietly, and the Frenchman nodded.

"I'll allow myself to turn dark." I reached out to stop him, but America squeezed my shoulder tighter as a warning. France turned on his heel and sprinted away into the woods.

"Here, hurry." Estonia pressed a tablet into my hand and I quickly swallowed it. "We have to move again. They know where our campsite is now." We packed our few things into backpacks and headed off, all of us hoping that the dark nations wouldn't catch up.

Hours later, we arrived at an ideal spot for our camp. After we set up, we finally began tending to the many wounds we had gotten from the Italies.

"Ouch!" Estonia instinctively pulled his arm back.

"Well, I'm sorry, but we have to set it!" I firmly pulled his arm back in front of me, pressing it into its position. I looked back up at him as I built a sling for his arm. He was biting his lower lip as if holding back a scream.

He quietly thanked me before raising his voice. "We can't get touched anymore. That was our last bottle, and now it's empty." Without another word, he headed back to his tent, leaving me to tend to Denmark's wounds.

"Man, those guys…" Denmark scratched the back of his head.

"I know, they're stronger than before." I trailed off, finishing up. "There, all done." I got up at last and headed back to the tents, quickly getting a blanket from my own tent. I didn't want to spend too much time in there – it held too many memories and belongings of my sister's.

"Hey, are you alright, Taiwan?" Russia asked, sitting down next to me.

"Yeah… It's just – China was the best sister I could have. I wouldn't want to trade her. Why does this have to happen to me…?" I rested my chin on my knees, gazing into the fire and trying to tune everything out.

* * *

><p>The Axis sat down around the fire of their camp, exchanging ideas for getting their soon-to-be allies out of the Allied camp.<p>

"Let's just spirit them away! Like in the movies?" Italy suggested, smiling. After no response was given, he noticeably deflated. "No?"

"Well, what about Prussia? He's immune. If he gets the cure recipe, our plan will be ruined." Japan cringed at the thought.

"Let's relax. Pick a target, take it out." China made it sound simple. "Find the weak links."

As if on cue, the group turned towards a sudden sound, the Italies readying for an attack.

"Bonjour," France emerged from the underbrush, a sadistic smile playing on his face. He had already turned dark.

* * *

><p>China's POV:<p>

I sat silently by the fire while the others argued, mainly over whether or not to kill France. I let my eyes sweep once again over the small group. A small, nagging, half-dead voice in the back of my mind whispered, "They're not your friends. This is the enemy." Naturally, I ignored it.

"China?" My head snapped to attention, focusing on Germany, who now looked rather annoyed.

"What?" I snapped. He casually tossed a knife at me. I stopped it just centimeters from my face, catching it easily in one hand.

"First guard." He said. I nodded stiffly, standing and heading towards the tree a few meters from camp that we had chosen as the guard's position. I sat at the base of the tree, weaving the sharp weapon through my fingers.

Japan watched his older sister warily. She was on guard, although not that much longer, and being new on the team, he naturally didn't trust her yet. He thought something had gone wrong when she changed. She flicked the knife in her hand up in the air, causing it to spin and balancing it on her forefinger.

His suspicion was confirmed while he watched. While completely absorbed in her thoughts and the spinning weapon, her eyes slowly shifted from red to their original amber color. Testing his theory, he picked up a branch and snapped it in half, producing a loud crack.

Instantly, China caught the knife, her eyes snapping back to scarlet and glaring in his direction, -although he knew she couldn't see him – ready to attack. He smiled, turning and silently heading back to the camp. Romano would be waking up soon to take the next shift, and Japan didn't feel like answering questions.

* * *

><p>Prussia sighed. Despite all of his assistance with the cure, the Estonian jerk had used it all already. That left them with no escape. If they had more, it would be fine: A person could only get infected a few times. But they had no clue why one batch had worked, and Estonia had been in too much of a hurry to check. They had, however, come to a useful conclusion. Unofficial countries, including himself, were for the most part immune. With all the times West had been around him since he had been infected, Prussia hadn't had a hint of the darkness.<p>

Perhaps he had just had it too many times before, or maybe that his eyes were permanently red. But he couldn't get infected, and as far as they knew, only he and Estonia knew that. It was a secret they had to keep.

He finished packing up his bag, adding a few handguns and a knife to be safe. The batch that Estonia had with him was a little strange, though – it seemed to have a radiating effect, according to Estonia. He had no idea what that meant, and Estonia's notes weren't really helpful, but it might give them an edge.

"Speaking of which…" He muttered, pulling Estonia's journal from under a stack of materials. He flipped it open to their most recent research.

*Radiating effect: Those who have come near the medicine while infected have been partially cured. Those who had recently turned dark also had flashes of normalcy…

Prussia snapped the journal shut, having seen too many complicated words for one day. He shoved the journal into his bag with the rest of his things, shouldered the backpack, and started out.

"C'mon, Gilbird." He called softly, and the bird fluttered onto his shoulder as he left.

It was only a few minutes into the trip that Prussia heard a badly concealed set of footsteps. Laying a hand on his knife, he spoke.

"Who's there?" There was more shuffling, a curse of pain, and then a young boy walked – well, more like fell – out from the treeline. The albino put the knife away, chuckling.

"Sealand, what the hell are you dong?"

The boy got to his feet, fixing his backpack. "Following you, of course! We're partners in awesome, we can't split up!" Prussia gave a playful poke to the boy's forehead.

"You're my apprentice in awesome. There's a difference." Sealand grumbled to himself, fixing his hat. Prussia sighed again.

"Yeah, I guess you can come. You're immune too, after all…" With a quiet hiss of victory, Sealand followed after the red-eyed man, hand rested on the daggers attached to his waist.

"So, are we just Team Awesome, or do we want something better for this mission?" Sealand asked, grinning incessantly. "I like the sound of 'The Jokers', y'know? It's like – like we don't take crap from anybody! 'The Jokers'!" the older nation shook his head.

"Nah, let's just be Prussia and Sealand for this mission. But I come first, 'cause I'm higher ranked in awesome."

"Well, what's our mission, Prussia?" The albino smiled wickedly.

"Oh, you know. Kick ass, take names… Save everybody. We gotta deliver this," He held out Estonia's journal, filled with everything they knew about the darkness. "To the Allies." The golden-haired boy pouted.

"That means Jerk England too, doesn't it?" He asked, looking depressed. Prussia bit his lip.

"Well, that's the thing." Sealand perked up, looking directly at Prussia.

"What is?"

"England. Based on what we've found…"

"Yes?" He was getting impatient.

"We've figured out that it's England's magic. His magic caused all of the darkness."

* * *

><p>Russia's Note: Dun dun duuuunnn. I feel quite proud of that lil' twist... And my favorite duo has finally come into action!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Us no own pretty comic/anime. *shakes head*

Warnings: Language, drama, more awesomeness

* * *

><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

I got up and pulled my hair back into a ponytail, grabbing my wooden staff, and left the tent silently. I wasn't going to sit on my ass and do nothing just because the boys thought I was "delicate". It wasn't long before my walk was interrupted.

"Ouch... Stop it... Hey!" I yanked out my staff as I heard rustling in the tree above me. In a split second I had knocked the two to the ground, standing over them.

"Hungary, get up please. And that was very unladylike of you, Taiwan..." Austria stood, brushing a hand through his hair.

"Austria, leave her be. The girl's just doing her job." Hungary brushed herself off.

"What are you doing here...?" I started, then shook my head. "Nevermind, I'll just take you back to camp." I led them back, where snores still emanated from the tents.

"Wake up, everyone!" I shouted, smacking the side of each tent. The last one produced an "Ouch!" as I hit the person inside."What the..." America said as he clambered out, rubbing his head. "Oh, hey you guys!" Now that everyone was assembled, Austria started into his explanation.

"Our house was overtaken by the darkness..." I left the camp immediately. I'd heard enough of the darkness. I sat at the base of a tree some distance away from the camp, calming down until suddenly a flash of movement caught my attention.

"Not you again..." I muttered, thinking that the Axis had found us again. I stopped, holding my staff in front of me and watching the trees. "Where are you..." I said to myself. It moved again, but this time I was ready, smacking the person to the ground with my staff.

"LATVIA?" I shouted, stepping back. "B- But you died! I watched you, you were shot by - !" I held my head, trying to make sense of what was happening. How could _Latvia_, of all people, be here? He had been shot days ago!

"Miss Taiwan!" He said hurriedly, pressing me to sit against a tree. "Maybe you should sit down!"

"How...?" I could barely form the question.

"The pilot turned out to be a surgeon." He began, smiling slightly, but with that forever present shaking. "He saved my life, and I'm ready to help in the war."

* * *

><p>China's POV:<p>

I stood on a branch, ready to swing down. The boys had said they would get someone for me to play with. The Italies were a lot more insane than I remembered, but they were also more effective, so I didn't complain. Finally, I spotted my target. Russia.

I readied the knife in my hands, prepared to jump down and make the job quick. I leaped, aiming to land on his shoulders, but he heard me and dodged. I landed, hard, on my hands and knees, but I refused to let this setback stop me and sprang to my feet, lunging to attack again. He grabbed my wrist, swinging me to the ground. I rolled, avoiding an attack I expected but didn't receive.

I ran forward again, this time burying my weapon into the tree behind him as he dodged. why wasn't he fighting me? I yanked on the knife, ripping it from the wood, and swung it back at him. He pulled back slightly and I missed his face by inches.

"Dammit! Either sit still and die, or FIGHT ME!" I was getting frustrated.

"Now China, let's think about this for a second." He reasoned as he dodged another swipe. He grabbed my wrist and held it still for a second.

"What's wrong with this picture, hm?" He asked. This was getting on my nerves oh so quickly.

"What's wrong," I began, charging at him again and missing. "Is that you're talking to me when you should be fighting!" I threw the knife down, stamping my foot and stopping my attacks. My mind was racing, a hundred thoughts going in a hundred different directions. Fight or don't fight? Run or don't run? Kill or don't kill? Enemy or friend?

I grabbed my head in my hands. what was wrong with me? I sank to my knees, shaking my head. Through the thousand different voices in my mind, I heard America's voice calling to the Russian. "Hold on, I'm coming!" I didn't move, too frustrated and confused to care as America strung chains around me. I closed my eyes as he struck the side of my head.

At least unconscious thoughts made sense.

* * *

><p>The Prussian trekked through the forest, a grin on his face. Though they hadn't made much progress in finding the Allies, he still remained optimistic.<p>

After the revelation about his brother, Sealand hadn't spoken much. He was still lost in his own thoughts, staring off into space. His unfocused daze, however, was soon to be over.

A loud crack caught the boy's attention, and both of them rested a hand on their pistols. Voices finally reached them.

"Damn, Fin! Can you be any louder?"

"Like you're one to talk. Shut up, Denmark." The second voice was quieter, but still held an air of anger. Was that... That couldn't be Finland. Nevertheless, the Finn, along with Denmark, emerged from the trees. The younger jumped back, a gun aimed at Prussia.

"Oi, Fin! Relax, it's just the awesome me!" The albino held up his hands, staring down the barrel of the gun.

Finland's hands were shaking again.

Then, in rapid succession, many things happened.

Finland fired, the bullet only clipping Prussia's ear. The albino clutched it, biting back a scream of pain. Denmark pulled a gun, aiming at Finland. Sealand, to everyone's surprise, aimed his pistol at Denmark.

Prussia took a step back away from the others. Sealand was the first to speak.

"Uncle... Drop the gun. _Now_."

Denmark's hard glare at Finland turned to one of astonishment at Sealand. The latter's hands were completely steady.

"S-Sea?" A low chuckle reached the group.

"Well, I hate to interrupt this nice little scene," A voice said, coated in sarcasm. Prussia's eyes widened.

"West." No one moved as Germany emerged from the trees, gun trained on Sealand. He wasted no time in firing.

Denmark leaped in front of Sealand. The bullet hit a vital mark. There was no time to react as the Dane's body collided with the ground. Sealand was frozen in place.

The boy's aim was instant and accurate. Germany fell to the ground, two bullets buried in his forehead. Sealand's expression was completely hardened as he marched over, almost mechanically, and fired bullet after bullet into the lifeless shell. Each shot was accented by a whispered word.

"How. Dare. You. Kill. My. Uncle. You. Son. Of a. Bitch." He found himself out of bullets, creating a dull clicking sound until he finally discarded the guns, settling for punching the body that used to be breathing.

Prussia finally sprinted forward, yanking the boy up off of his brother and dragging him away.

"GET OFF ME!" The boy screamed, pushing away. He fell to his knees against a tree, eyes locked on the two lifeless shapes in front of him.

"Denmark..."

Sealand's hands were stained with red.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: No matter how long we go on hiatus, we'll never own Hetalia.

Warnings for chapter 7: Language

* * *

><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

"Tai?" Russia strode into the clearing, looking for me. I watched as he froze, settling his eyes on his long-time friend.

"Latvia."

"Hey, Russia." His voice had a confident air about it, unlike the boy he had known before the battle had started. That's not like him… I thought, worried. Russia seemed to notice as well. He glanced at me, communicating through his expression: Move, and do it quickly.

"Aw, Russia. Guess that means I don't get to play with you." He grabbed my wrist with one gloved hand, sighing as though settling for his second favorite food for dinner.

"I guess she'll have to do." He grinned maniacally and turned to look at me.

"That's a big mistake, da…?" Russia said cheerily, though I was able to sense the tension lying under his words. He brought his pipe down, but the smaller nation was already out of the way and moving.

"Let go!" I yelled, biting down on his arm.

"That won't work on me anymore, sweetheart." Latvia taunted, moving quickly through the trees despite my weight. With my free arm, I twisted to grab my staff only to find it was missing. Shit, I must have dropped it… My thoughts were interrupted as my feet found themselves on the ground once again. Surprised, I fell to my knees.

"Taiwan. How pleasant of you to drop by." I looked up instantly, locking my brown eyes with my brother's red.

* * *

><p>China's POV:<p>

I was chained to a tree. No, scratch that. Chains didn't even begin to describe the thick, apparently unbreakable, steel rope binding me to the stiff tree trunk. Not to mention the extra wire around my wrists that I couldn't seem to snap. Where the hell had they gotten this equipment?

"Good morning, China." America said cheerily as he passed. That was funny. I was on a completely different side of the war. I was a captive and practically welded to a tree, and they still treated me as though I was their old friend.

I stopped Britain as he started by me.

"So are you going to kill me? Because if you're looking for a ransom, you're asking the wrong side." I tried to keep my voice even as I spoke. He chuckled.

"Not quite." He replied as he walked away.

"Morons." I muttered under my breath. Either they were extremely indecisive, or extremely stupid. Probably both. I shook my head, once again turning my attention to the metal cord. This stuff just would not break, no matter how hard I pulled or twisted.

"Having fun with those?" Britain asked, returning to the tree where I was being held. I growled and looked up, but didn't reply. He filled the silence for me.

"So, I've come up with a plan and I thought it'd only be fair to include you, since, well. You'd be the guinea pig." He explained. I only glared in response.

"So." He turned to address the other Allies, back facing me. "I've noticed that China's eyes seem to change when she is distracted or in deep thought. I'd like to try working off of that."

"You wanna do what now?" America asked, ever oblivious. Britain sighed.

"I'm going to hypnotize her." He replied slowly.

"You're doing what to me?" I asked, voice cracking as I tried to focus on his words.

"I'm going to -"

"DON'T SAY IT AGAIN!" I screamed, panic overtaking me. I struggled even harder against the metal bonds. "HELL NO!" Britain slapped a hand over my jaw.

"Any questions?" He asked, struggling to hold my jaw shut.

* * *

><p>After some time had passed, Peter finally stood. Prussia edged towards him, a bit nervous. "You alright?"<p>

"I'm fine." There was a hardened tone to Sealand's voice that made the Prussian step back. The younger boy walked forward with measured steps to pick up the two pistols from where he had dropped them, only sparing a single glance at Germany's corpse.

"Let's go." Prussia and Finland followed after the boy, exchanging glances that showed how wary they were of what he would do. After a few moments, Prussia fell back to trail after the others, risking several stares back to where they had come from. He didn't show any emotion past the stray flashes of sorrow in his eyes.

_Time Skip_

The trio arrived at the Allied camp a short while later. Finland immediately joined Sweden and Iceland, explaining in hushed tones what had happened. With his eyes, Sweden invited his son into their group, but he was ignored.

Otherwise, their arrival was unnoticed. Estonia, Hungary, and Austria spoke around a fire regarding some sort of rescue plan. Meanwhile, America, Britain, and Russia were circled around a tree, speaking to each other. Prussia could only assume they had a captive, but where were France and China?

"Hey you guys…" A quiet voice said. Prussia spun around. Who was that…? Canadia…? Candia…?

"It's me, Canada." The albino nodded in understanding, a bit ashamed he had to be reminded of the nation's name. Sealand started off to speak with his brother.

"Say, Canada…"

"Hm?"

"Where's France? And China?" A strange look crossed the Canadian's face.

"W-Well, France turned dark. We ran out of medicine and – and he volunteered." Prussia sighed.

"I see… And China? The same?"

"China… She's actually – " Sealand's yell interrupted them, a sudden outburst after he saw who exactly was tied to the tree.

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

><p>Sealand's POV:<p>

I fired the gun in my hand, ignorant of the steady click, click of the empty magazine.

"Good job, idiot. Your weapon's empty." I stared at China, who was tied to the tree, and suddenly words came to my lips. "Shut up! This is your fault too!" The woman scoffed.

"What's my fault? That your uncle's dead?" She gestured to my parents to show how she'd heard. My hands started shaking of their own accord. "You're barking up the wrong tree. I've been here for three days." A smile lit her face, her eyes seeming even redder than before.

"But I'm sure I missed a great show. Did Germany shoot him? Slit his throat? Did Denmark beg for mercy? Do fill me in." I could not longer hear the older nation over the blood pounding in my ears.

"Stop it." I said the words quietly, as menacingly as I could. The three Allies stepped away from my imminent anger, but China didn't stop smiling.

"Would killing me make you feel like an actual nation? It really doesn't matter. Go ahead and do it."

"Stop it." I repeated, louder. She immediately retorted, "Why should I?" Infuriated, I brought the butt of the gun around, slamming it into her cheek. It made a loud crack as it made contact. I'd broken her jaw, but she continued. "You can't, can you?" A tiny bit of blood dripped from between her lips.

"You're just like the rest. Spineless. Terrified. _Weak_." I drew a knife, finally ready to swing it into the country's chest. I'd had enough.

* * *

><p>Taiwan's POV:<p>

I awoke in the Axis camp, my brother sitting next to me. Where was everyone else? I could hardly remember the previous night. A yawn came from Japan, accompanied by a quiet word.

"Finally." He lifted a mirror to my face and my heart broke as I looked into it.

"Welcome to the team, imouto." He said, cutting the bonds holding my wrists together. I stared at my blood-eyed reflection in the mirror, wanting desperately to cry. Wait… My eyes were red, but I wasn't evil, was I…?

My mind searched for an explanation, quickly finding one. The Italies must still have the medicine… If I could sell an evil act for long enough, I could steal it back from them. Hopefully.

"It's about time." I said, forcing as much darkness into my smile as I could. Spain walked into camp at that point, Italy and Romano trailing after him.

"Ah, Tai. I see you've finally joined us. Shame about your eyes though. Brown is such a pretty color for you." Italy spoke quickly, his voice still terrifyingly natural. He held my chin with two fingers to inspect my eyes. I replied easily.

"Brown is such a terrible color. I like red more… What do you think, brother?" I mentally winced. What was I doing, disagreeing with Italy? I relaxed slightly as Japan nodded.

"Hai, I think it fits your complexion nicely."

"I'll say." Spain said cheerily, starting towards us. Japan straightened, glaring at the Spaniard. The two Italies followed suit, standing between the two of us.

"Don't even think about it." The two redheads said in unison. Seemed as though they didn't trust him…

"Ah, Spain, at it again I see." France laughed, stepping into the camp with a body slung over his shoulder. He dropped it carelessly, drawing a gasp from Italy.

"Germany?" Some sense of the Italian's old voice returned as he spoke. "Those bastards…" Romano held an arm in front of his brother, holding him back.

"It was Sealand and Prussia – but mostly the former." France clarified.

"How would you know…?" Italy asked slowly, glaring at the blond. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes.

"I watched."

A gunshot rang out and France crumpled to the ground, dead. I barely held myself back as blood pooled around him.

"And you didn't help." Italy growled, his persona completely dark once again. I only allowed one tear to slip down my cheek, unnoticed by all the nations around me.


End file.
